The Queen of Thieves
by XfreakXninjaX
Summary: Growing up in District 80 is rough. For Ren, the only way that she could get by was to be a thief, and she just so happened to become one of the greatest thieves in all of Soul Society in the process. Along the way, she gets to join the Gotei 13, where her life will take a drastic turn, and one particular Captain's life will change right along with hers. Shinji/OC
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Okay, so here's another new story. Unlike **__**The Illusion of Fear**__**, this one has a definite pairing of Shinji/OC. Updates might come a little slow on this one, depending on how all of your readers react to it. If you seem to like it, I'll try to put them out sooner. If not, then we'll see. Anywho, please follow, favorite, or review, because they make my day, in all honesty. Enjoy, and feel free to give me feedback!**_

Chapter One- The Queen of Thieves

It was a cool, clear day in Soul Society, the kind of day that usually brought a certain calming quality with it, but today was an exception. There was a buzz going about Soul Society, one that had unseated and seated Shinigami both whispering, trying to gather the latest information on the newest rumor. One captain in particular, however, was completely clueless to the gossip that was making its way about. As Shinji Hirako made his way towards his division, he was oblivious to all of the quiet whispers and murmurs that were growing more and more frequent as the morning went on.

He was almost all the way to his office before he noticed the groups of people that were huddled around each other, and the constant murmurs that were coming from them. Now he was curious, but as soon as he tried to get their attention, they all walked off, seemingly not wanting to get caught gossiping while on duty. By the time his lieutenant had found him, the captain was rather frustrated, and he would not surrender until he figured out what was going on.

"Captain Hirako-"Aizen began, only to be cut off as soon as he started.

"What is all of the commotion about?" Shinji demanded.

"You haven't heard?" Aizen wondered.

"If I had, I wouldn't have asked!" Shinji retorted, his frustration increasing by the second at this point.

"Lieutenant Ōmaeda has retired and Captain Shihōin has already chosen his replacement. They say that the replacement didn't even go to the Academy, and that she got her from District 80 in Southern Rukongai," Aizen explained.

"She?" Shinji pondered.

"Yes, and rumor has it that Captain Shihōin went all the way to District 80 herself to get her," Aizen continued.

"And just what is so special about her?" Shinji asked.

"Apparently, it's the Queen of Thieves." Shinji had heard of the Queen of Thieves before, but he couldn't believe it. Why would Yoruichi replace Marenoshin Ōmaeda with some crook, and the proclaimed Queen of Thieves for that matter? It was said that the Queen of Thieves could steal anything, money, jewelry, any sort of valuable, you name it, and she could steal it without leaving any sort of trace. There was even a rumor that she had stolen from the Shihōin family themselves, but that she had come back and left the artifact where she found it once she had figured out what it was. It was merely a family memento, worth nothing on the black market, so she returned it in the same way that she took it: unseen and untraceable.

"Is she here?" Shinji asked.

"I believe so," Aizen answered, while nodding. "I believe that is the purpose of the meeting that we have been called to."

"Meeting? What meeting?" Shinji asked, exasperated.

"I was coming to find you and tell," Aizen told him. "The Captain-Commander has called an impromptu meeting with the Captains and Lieutenants. I would assume it would be about the new Lieutenant."

"Then what are we waiting for? We'll be late at this rate," Shinji stated, turning around and beginning to make his way to the First Division. Aizen just shook his head and followed behind his captain.

"I wonder what she looks like," Shinji pondered.

"What?" Aizen asked, surprised by his captain's sudden outburst.

"The Lieutenant! She's from District 80, so I bet she's from one of those Thief Clans. She's probably some big, rough, ugly woman. Ugh, I can only imagine," Shinji commented, shuddering in disgust in the process.

"I suppose that could be true," Aizen muttered, trying to understand why his captain had chosen to go through that particular thought process.

"Oi, Kensei!" Shinji called. The Captain of the Ninth Division turned around to see who was calling him.

"What?" he called back, waiting for Shinji and his Lieutenant to catch up with him and his Lieutenant, Mashiro Kuna, who was surprisingly quiet for once.

"Any idea who this new Lieutenant is?" Shinji asked him as they continued walking.

"Not a clue. None of the Captains have met her except for Yoruichi," Kensei told him.

"What? So nobody knows anything about her, accept for these wild rumors that are going around," Shinji stated, kicking a rock that was in his way.

"Yeah, "Queen of Thieves" my ass. That's a myth," Kensei scoffed.

"Ah, I wonder where they would even get that idea," Shinji added. He was startled when Hiyori Sarugaki walked up beside him and…did not hit him. She was quiet. He thought hell had frozen over.

"Uh, Hiyori," Shinji began.

"Is it true?" she interrupted, keeping her eyes ahead of her.

"I don't know. Probably not, but I can't say for sure," Shinji told her.

"Of course it's not! That's just a myth! I don't know why you and Mashiro are so wound up about it," Kensei scoffed, again, looking off to the side. He didn't believe that the "Queen of Thieves" was here, but he was curious about this new Lieutenant, and just why Yoruichi had chosen her of all people.

"Well, I guess we'll find out," Shinji commented as the finally reached the meeting hall. As the doors were opened, he saw that they were the last ones there. They quickly took their places and were silent so the Captain-Commander could begin.

"Let this meeting begin!" Yamamoto stated, slamming the end of his cane against the ground. "I have called you here today regarding the Lieutenant of the Second Division. As you have heard, Marenoshin Ōmaeda has retired, and Captain Shihōin has already chosen his replacement. Would you step forward, Captain?" Yoruichi gladly bowed her head and stepped forward, rather excited to bring in her new Lieutenant.

"She's not in here," Shinji thought. "But where is she?"

"Captain Shihōin, is it true that the replacement that you have chosen has not attended the academy, and has not even stepped near the Gotei 13?" the Captain-Commander asked. Everybody expected her to deny it, but they were in for a surprise.

"It's true," she stated, shocking everyone.

"Then why do you think it is justified to make her your Lieutenant, when she is not even qualified?" Yamamoto asked.

"Oh, she's more than qualified. I'm sure you've heard of the Queen of Thieves, haven't you? And I'm sure that you heard that she stole from my family as well, even though she returned it. Well, I can tell you why she did it," Yoruichi stated, piquing the interest of all of the Captains and Lieutenants.

"Hm? How would you know that?" Shunsui Kyouraku asked, pushing his hat back slightly.

"I dared her to," Yoruichi answered, with a large grin on her face.

"You dared her?" Jushiro Ukitake repeated.

"Yes, I dared her. I met her a few times before that, and on one of the later times, I dared her to steal from my family. I didn't think she could do it, but she did, and she didn't even leave a trace of Reiatsu," Yoruichi explained. "We met many times after that, and I trust her with my life. She is a commendable warrior and a master of her craft, so I believe that she is more than qualified to become my Lieutenant."

"That can't be true! The "Queen of Thieves" is just a myth!" Kensei stated, voicing the opinions of many of the people in the room.

"I'm afraid she's not," Yamamoto commented, shocking everybody except for a few. "After hearing so many rumors, I sent Yoruichi out to inspect them, and in turn, it seems she found the Queen of Thieves, even though she failed to report it to me."

"And ruin the surprise?" Yoruichi teased. The Captain-Commander let out a sigh, hoping that he wouldn't regret his next decision.

"I will allow it," he stated. "But be warned, if she is suspected of any criminal activity, I will apprehend her myself."

"Oh, she really isn't like that. She was just trying to make it by, and she just so happened to become one of the greatest thieves ever known in the process," Yoruichi laughed.

"I can't believe we're letting a criminal in our ranks," Kensei muttered.

"You're only a criminal if you get caught, Kensei," Love laughed. He, along with a few others, was excited to see this new Lieutenant. They were curious to meet the woman who was so notorious for her crimes, but could never be tied to them or caught, and was therefore not technically even guilty of committing them.

"So, where is she?" Rose asked.

"Yes, bring her here, Yoruichi, so we may see this thief," Yamamoto agreed, still anxious about his choice.

"She's been on the roof the whole time," Yoruichi told them.

"Bull. There is no way she was right outside and nobody saw or sensed her," Kensei grunted.

"I told you she was a master of her craft," Yoruichi snickered. "I wouldn't be surprised if she pickpocketed some of you while you were coming in."

"Now you're just making stuff up," Lisa Yadomaru commented, pushing her glasses up.

"I mean, I might have told her to, you know, to prove a point," Yoruichi stated slyly. "I guess we'll see what goodies she got."

"REN!" Yoruichi yelled, making those who were standing close to her cover their ears in shock. There was silence for a moment, but soon enough, the doors began to slowly open. Nobody knew what to expect. A few (like Shinji) were expecting some manly, rough looking woman, while others were expecting some scraggly, sinister looking woman. None of them were right.

As the doors finally opened, they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Her body was very similar to Yoruichi's, except she might have been an inch or so shorter, but everything else was almost exact; she was even earing the same type of sleeveless uniform that Yoruichi had on under her Captain's haori, except she was wearing an orange sash instead of a sword belt. She wasn't very pale or very tan; she was somewhere in between, and her skin looked soft to the touch. Her dark brown hair barely went past her jawline, but it was shorter in the back than it was in the front, with a light curl to it, and it shined with red and orange highlights in the light. What was most striking was her eyes. They were a deep, burnt orange color, finishing off her appearance and making her give off the essence of the autumn season. She was beautiful, and there was no way that she was the Queen of Thieves.

"Everybody, this is Ren. Ren, meet your new co-workers," Yoruichi announced. Ren gave a light bow, and then walked across the room towards Yoruichi.

"So, what'd you get?" Yoruichi asked, with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Ren held out a sack to her, and it looked to be rather full.

"Everything they had," Ren answered, returning Yoruichi's grin. Everyone started to feel around their pockets, and sure enough, they came up short, even the Captain-Commander. Yoruichi opened the sack, and pulled out a few of the money bags.

"My, my, you really did!" she laughed, beginning to throw the bags to their prospective owners.

"Well, I do aim to please, Captain," Ren told her, putting a slight emphasis on 'Captain'.

"There's no way!" Kensei roared.

"Oh, deal with it," Yoruichi retorted, throwing him his money bag. "You just don't want to admit that you got pickpocketed by a girl." Kensei was about to say something back, but the Captain-Commander cut him off.

"It was…an impressive display of skill," he conceded, as he caught his money bag. "Just don't make it a habit."

"Don't make it a habit? That's it?" Kensei asked, astonished. He and a few others couldn't get over what had just happened, but some of the others thought that it was hilarious, which included Shunsui and Love and a few others.

"Yes, that is all. His meeting is dismissed. Make sure to give your Lieutenant her badge, Captain Shihōin."

Before anyone else could say a word, Yoruichi and her new Lieutenant Shunpo'd out of the hall, leaving several confused people in their wake, including our very own Shinji Hirako. He, however, was not stunned by their speed. No, he was mesmerized by the beauty of the Queen of Thieves and also by the skill that she possessed. To put it simply, he was smitten.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two-Their First Meeting

"That was so funny," Ren breathed, barely able to stop her laughter long enough to speak.

"I told you it would be! Their faces were priceless!" Yoruichi jeered. They had Shunpo'd their way back to the Second Division, and once they entered Yoruichi's office, they both collapsed to the ground laughing.

"I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that!" Ren added, holding her ribs even tighter.

"Oh, Ren, you are not going to regret this, I swear," Yoruichi told her, finally beginning to catch her breath.

"If you keep letting me do things like this, I know I won't," Ren agreed, getting out of the floor and then helping Yoruichi do the same. They both sat down behind their own desks, and turned their chairs to where they were facing each other.

* * *

"Captain Hirako?" Aizen shook the shoulder of his captain, trying to snap him out of his thoughts. Most of the other captains and lieutenants had already left, but Shinji hadn't budged an inch. Aizen was under the impression that he hadn't even blinked, either.

"Haha! Go on back to your division, Sousuke. We'll take care of him," Shunsui laughed. Jushiro, Lisa, and Love were also with him, and Jushiro was the only one that wasn't laughing at Shinji's expense. Aizen just stood there for a moment, unsure if it was really wise to abandon his captain here, with these people, but he had work to do, so he left without another word.

"Oh, Shinji~!" Shunsui sang, standing in front of Shinji. To his surprise, he received no reply. Shinji just stood there motionless.

"Uh, do you think he's okay?" Jushiro asked, trying to see what Shinji was staring at. If he wasn't mistaken, he was staring at the spot where Yoruichi and her new lieutenant had been standing.

"Probably," Love told him, snapping his fingers in front of Shinji's face. He still wasn't moving.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Kensei demanded, still angry from that thief's 'display' earlier.

"I think he's a little 'stunned'," Shunsui told him, the grin never leaving his face.

"By what?" Kensei asked. He looked at where Shinji was staring, and the answer to his question hit him like a brick, and that particular brick had 'rage' written all over it.

"Are you kidding me? That **crook**?" Kensei yelled, smacking Shinji in the back of the head, hitting him so hard that he knocked him to the floor.

"Ow! Geez, what the hell was that for?" Shinji yelled, not only angry that Kensei had hit him, but also angry that he had been knocked out of his thoughts of Ren.

"Get over it! I can't believe you're thinking about that-that thief!" Kensei yelled back at him. He didn't think that even Shinji could be that desperate.

"Did you see her? She was gorgeous," Shinji told him. "I think she's my first love."

"You say that about all pretty girls, Shinji," Lisa reminded him.

"Well, maybe, but it's different this time," Shinji stated.

"It better not be! How could you even think to associate with that criminal?" Kensei asked, exasperated. He knew that at this point, no matter what he said to him, Shinji was lost; Shinji had his eyes set on the thief, and Kensei wasn't sure that anything would be able to pry them off.

"Well, she's obviously not one anymore!" Love laughed, slapping Kensei on the back.

"Yep, she's a Soul Reaper now. Why don't we go and meet her?" Shunsui suggested. Shinji's eyes grew wide at the statement, and a jolt of excitement went through him.

"Tch, have fun. Count me out, I have more important things to do," Kensei scoffed, walking off to tend to his own business, giving up on the matter altogether.

"That must have been a real shot to his pride," Lisa commented. Love hummed in agreement.

"Why are we waiting? Let's go!" Shinji called. He was already at the door, ready to lead the charge to Yoruichi's office in the Second Division. Jushiro was startled by his sudden urgency, but Shunsui and the others just laughed at him. They couldn't what to see what he would do when he got to see Ren up close and personal.

* * *

"So, we haven't been able have a good talk in a while. How have things been?" Yoruichi began, folding her hands behind her head and propping her feet up on her desk. Ren let out a short sigh, leaning back in her chair, and crossing her arms over her stomach.

"The Thief Clans were pissed, that's for sure," she started. "Not that I care, really. I mean, I hate them, so I don't care what they do, but I don't want them bringing any trouble here. That would not look too good for me."

"I thought you didn't associate with the Thief Clans?" Yoruichi pressed.

"I don't, which is ironic, but they tried their hardest to get me to join them. They were starting to get pretty violent when I left," Ren told her. As there name suggested, Thief Clans were clans of thieves, mainly based around the outer districts of Rukongai. Their thieves were trained from infancy to steal, to spy, and even to assassinate. There were several clans, all distant from one another, which was a good thing, considering that they were definitely not friendly with each other. They were always trying to out-do each other, and recently, they tried to do that by recruiting the Queen of Thieves herself.

"Why did you never associate with them? I was under the impression that all thieves were in one of the clans," Yoruichi continued. Ren was quiet for a moment. Her vendetta against the Thief Clans was one that started at birth, one that still hadn't died, and one that probably never would die.

"I was born into one. When I was little, I went through my training pretty fast, and my parents were thrilled. I didn't really understand how wrong stealing was at the time; it was all that I'd ever known, and at that point, it was all that I was supposed to know. But, I had a brother. He, he was strong, but he wasn't good at his thief training, so my parents disowned him and he was exiled from the clan. I loved my brother to death, so I was pretty heartbroken when they took him away from me. I figured that the best way for me to get back at them was to take away what they were so proud of, so I slacked off in my training. It made them so mad, and they exiled me pretty quickly after that. They left me on the streets of District 80 in North Rukongai, and I just sort of went from there. I traveled, stealing things on the way, selling what I could, and making a small name for myself in the process. After a while, I reached District 80 in South Rukongai," Ren explained. She stopped for a moment, going through her old memories. She couldn't even remember all of the times that she had pickpocketed people, or the amount of times that she would steal food from a merchant's stall, or the countless homes that she had broken into to steal valuables. She was trying to make it by, and stealing, being a thief, was all that she had ever known.

"Ren?" Yoruichi called, concern laced in her voice.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. Uh, yeah, I found my brother in South Rukongai. The thing was, when he was exiled, the clan that we were from did something to him. I have no idea what they did, but he had lost his memories. I've never heard of them wiping an exiles memory before, but they did it to him. It took forever, but he finally remembered me, but that was it. It's funny, though. They said he was talentless, that he wasn't worth the air he breathed, but he turned out to be one of the greatest swordsmen in all of Soul Society. If they had just kept him, that clan would have been at the top. Their loss, though, not his," Ren continued, shrugging her shoulders.

"Who is he?" Yoruichi asked.

"You haven't heard of him. He's really only heard of in the outer districts. We split up a long time ago. I was through with traveling, and he wanted to keep traveling to fight people. We still met up from time to time, though. I told him that I was coming here and everything," Ren told her, breaking Yoruichi's curiosity in one strike.

"He didn't want to come, too?" Yoruichi pondered.

"He'll come here, eventually. He'll run out of people to fight and he'll have no choice but to come here," Ren told her, with a knowing look on her face.

"He'll come here to find her, too," Ren thought. She decided to keep that little detail to herself, though. It would only complicate things.

"So, anyways, on a happier note, what will my first orders be?" Ren asked, eager to begin her work. She was ready to slay some Hollows, or maybe even train some newbies. She had a tanto blade strapped to each of her thighs; these tanto blades were her zanpakuto, her trusted partners that had seen her through many a fight and theft. Yoruichi seemed to think for a moment, but an idea hit her, and that mischievous grin hit her face again.

"Make me lunch," Yoruichi told her.

"What?" Ren asked, not believing what she had heard.

"Make me lunch," Yoruichi repeated.

"Don't you have people to do that?" Ren asked.

"Yes, but they can't cook like you can, my dear Ren," Yoruichi taunted. Ren knew that Yoruichi loved her cooking, and she didn't mind doing it because she loved to cook, but it seemed strange that it was her first duty as a Shinigami…

"Fine," Ren conceded, getting out of her chair. "Where is everything?"

"In the back. I had it all set up just for you!" Yoruichi cheered. "And make plenty, because I'm sure we'll have guests!"

* * *

Shinji was having second thoughts. As soon as they reached the Second Division, he froze. His nerves got the best of him, and he wasn't sure if he could face the beautiful lieutenant anymore. What if she didn't like him? What if her personality didn't match her looks? What if she wasn't single? What if she **hated** him?

"Nope, keep moving," Shunsui stated, pushing Shinji forward towards Yoruichi's office. He and Love ended up having to drag him the rest of the way and Lisa laughed the entire way.

"Knock," Love demanded, as they finally reached the office.

"What?" Shinji asked incredulously. He tried to smooth down the wrinkles in his haori from where Shunsui and Love had dragged him.

"It's not hard, Shinji. Take your hand, ball it up, and tap it against the door," Lisa mocked, enjoying every minute of Shinji's discomfort.

"But-"Shinji began.

"No buts, just actions," Shunsui told him, taking Shinji's hand and making him knock.

"Wait! I'm not-"Shinji tried to walk away, but this time, Jushiro stopped him from walking away,

"You have to start somewhere," Jushiro assured him, giving him a smile to encourage him.

"Come in! ~" Yoruichi called. Shinji could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat. He was here, she was here, and the meeting was bound to take place. And now, thanks to his oh so supportive friends, he couldn't avoid it.

"Here we go! ~" Shunsui sang as he opened the door. "Yoruichi-chan! ~"

"Shunsui! Jushiro! Love! Lisa! Hehe, Shinji," Yoruichi greeted with a sly grin. Shinji's face fell. Was it that obvious? And just where was Ren at?!

"Lunch is just about ready, so make yourselves comfortable!" Yoruichi told them.

"Lunch?" Jushiro asked.

"Yes, I had Ren fix something up for us," Yoruichi told them. She already had a table set out along with mats for them to sit on. They made sure that there was an empty seat beside Shinji, although he tried to fight it.

"So, how's the new lieutenant going?" Love asked. Lisa snickered as Shinji's eyes widened at the mention of Ren.

"Oh, it's great. She really knows how to have fun in the work place," Yoruichi answered with a suggestive tone in her voice. Shinji couldn't help it as a small trail of blood came out of his nose, and Shunsui had a pretty big smile on his face, too. Jushiro, on the opposite end of the spectrum, was slightly blushing. He could tell it was going to be a long lunch.

"Yoruichi-chan! Lunch is done!" Goodness, Shinji loved the sound of her voice.

"Our guests are here, so go ahead and bring it out!" Yoruichi called back.

Nobody but Yoruichi could believe their eyes. There was so much food! Ren just kept bringing more and more plates in, and they were stacked with rice, vegetables, all kinds of meat, and even some sushi. She also brought some tea to go with it.

"Beautiful!" Love cried.

"I see you've outdone yourself again, Ren," Yoruichi commented.

"Well, I aim to please, Yoruichi-ch- uh, Captain," Ren replied, quickly correcting the way she addressed Yoruichi.

"That you do, Ren. Now, let's not wait any longer. This food looks too good to just be sitting there," Yoruichi stated. Ren finally sat down, and of course, she had to sit by Shinji. His eyes were as wide as saucers, and his breathing was quickening. Love was on the verge of tears with his laughter, and Lisa was having a hard time keeping hers in.

"So, Ren-chan, what brings you to the Gotei 13?" Shunsui asked, generally curious. Shinji, on the other hand, was mildly agitated that Shunsui was speaking so familiarly with her.

"It's just something different to do, really, and that one played a role in it, too," Ren told him, pointing her thumb at Yoruichi.

"Don't pretend like you don't love it," Yoruichi commented, although it was muffled by her mouthful of food.

"Beautiful, Yoruichi, beautiful," Ren replied, shaking her head.

"It's amazing!" Love sang, swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Ah, it is! You're a great cook, Ren-chan!" Jushiro agreed. Shinji couldn't believe his ears. Now Jushiro was acting all cozy with her?

"Thank you, Captain Ukitake," Ren replied.

"There's no need to be so formal here, Ren. You can call me Jushiro if you want," Jushiro told her.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Jushiro," Ren said, giving him a smile to go along with it. If her food wasn't so damn good, and if her smile wasn't so damn beautiful, Shinji might have been a little mad at Jushiro. But with a mouthful of such amazing food, there was no way that he could be mad, no matter how jealous he was of Jushiro and Shunsui for even being able to talk to Ren.

"How do you like the food, Shinji?" Lisa asked him, trying to get him to speak.

"It's, uh, it's good," he stuttered. The uncertainty in his voice almost made it sound like he thought it was bad. Yoruichi smacked her forehead in frustration.

"You know, Shinji, Ren could probably use someone to show her around the divisions. Would you be able to do that?" Shunsui asked, trying to save Shinji.

"I, uh, I think Aizen has work for me to do," Shinji answered. Love almost choked on his food.

"You never do it anyways," Lisa commented, trying to push him on.

"He, uh, said it was important," Shinji replied. Jushiro shook his head this time, showing just how hopeless Shinji was.

"Well, Ren is a smart girl. I'm sure she'll find her way around," Yoruichi commented, sending a small glare towards Shinji.

"Well, somebody did already offer to show me around," Ren added, making everyone look at her in surprise.

"Really? Who?" Yoruichi asked.

"It was a lieutenant. I think he said his name was Sousuke Aizen," Ren told them.

"I'm going to kill him," Shinji thought.

"Well, how nice of him to offer!" Shunsui commented, nudging Jushiro's arm to get him to go along with him.

"Well, he is a very nice young man," Jushiro added.

"He's not bad looking, either," Yoruichi stated, joining in on the action. Jealousy was raging in Shinji's eyes, along with a hint of anger.

"I suppose, I mean, I've only seen him once, so," Ren replied. Shinji couldn't take it anymore.

"I have to go," he said, standing up quickly.

"But you hardly ate anything," Love told him, trying to get him to sit back down.

"I'm not hungry," he replied, quickly storming out of Yoruichi's office, leaving a moment of silence in his wake.

"Is he, uh, usually like this?" Ren asked, taking a sip of tea.

"No, not usually," Yoruichi breathed, mildly disappointed. She quickly went over to her desk and wrote something down on a piece of paper, folding it up when she was done.

"Lisa, will you drop this by Fifth Division on your way back to Eighth?" Yoruichi asked.

"Of course," Lisa replied, having a pretty good idea of what was on it.

* * *

Aizen could tell that something was wrong with his captain; he was doing paper work, not saying a word, with a very broken air about him. Aizen had tried to ask him what was wrong, but Shinji wouldn't say a word to him. He merely huffed and kept writing.

"Shinji! Captain Shihōin sent you a message!" Lisa called as she opened the door to the Fifth Division office. Shinji just huffed in reply and kept doing his paperwork.

"What is wrong with him?" Aizen asked her.

"He's just got a stick up his ass, that's all. And it's his own fault," Lisa told him, putting the piece of paper on his desk. "See ya."

"Captain, I-"Aizen began.

"Just go," Shinji cut him off. He knew what Aizen was going to ask him, and he just wanted to get it over with.

"Al-alright, Captain, if you insist," Aizen replied, quickly leaving the office.

"If you insist my ass," Shinji muttered, dropping his pen on his desk. He stared at the note that Lisa had left on his desk for a moment. He thought about not reading it, but what if it was about Ren? He quickly unfolded the note, and dropped it as soon as he read it.

"Dumbass" was the only thing written on the paper, and at this point, he couldn't help but agree. He had acted like a rude asshole to Ren, and he just let his lieutenant go off to show her around, when it should have been him. He should have been one standing by Ren, talking to her, complimenting her, telling her some stupid joke so he could see her smile again. Her smile had sent a jolt of excitement right through his heart, and now, he would be lucky if he ever saw it again. And he had no one to blame but himself.

_**Author's Note: Alright, so we have some character interaction here, and a little bit of Ren's background. Poor Shinji. He just can't catch a break can he? Anyways, a special thanks to kodokuna 13, ocmaker317, and EaSnowPw for the follows and favorites, and especially to wolfgirl3090 and kdeargh for the reviews! They really made my day! As for everyone else, please enjoy the new chapter, and please follow, favorite, or review if you like it!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Thank you for the review, EaSnowPw! Don't worry, Ren will share plenty of her opinions in this chapter! I think this one turned out to be a little longer than the last, but there is a lot more interaction between Shinji and Ren in this one. Updates might start coming a little slower, though. I'm thinking about posting another story, and I might be losing internet for a few weeks soon. But, I will keep writing while my internet's out, so I'll have plenty of material to post when I get it back. Anyways, thank you for reading, and please follow, favorite, or review if you like it! Enjoy! Whew, that was a long author's note! :)**_

Chapter Three-Round Two

"Hey, uh Ren?"

"Yes, Yoruichi?" Ren looked up from her paperwork to see just what her captain wanted. Yoruichi was twiddling her thumbs and looking off to her side, unable to look at Ren, and for once her life, looking nervous and almost shy.

"How was, uh, your tour?" Yoruichi wasn't really sure how to bring it up, but she couldn't really find a way to be subtle about it, either.

"You mean how was Aizen?" Ren countered, with a suggestive flick of her eyebrows, knowing just how Yoruichi would take it. And just as she expected, Yoruichi's eyes grew wide and she started stammering very badly. To see a woman that was usually so carefree and jovial and confident be so nervous and embarrassed was hysterical to Ren, but for the sake of her beloved captain, she contained herself.

"W-w-w-what do you, w-w-w-what-"Yoruichi couldn't even finish her sentence because she was stuttering so badly. She already felt bad for causing Shinji to make an ass out of himself earlier, but she didn't think it would go this far; if it had, she would have felt awful.

"I'm kidding, Yoruichi!" Ren laughed, unable to contain herself any longer. "Oh, the look on your face!"

"Th-that's not funny!" Yoruichi indignantly yelled, a light blush going across her face.

"Mhm. You finally got a taste of your own medicine and you couldn't handle it, just admit it," Ren boasted, proud that she had finally 'gotten-one-over' on her captain.

"You didn't answer my question!" Yoruichi scoffed, trying to change the subject.

"Do you really want to know?" Ren challenged. Yoruichi swallowed hard, afraid of what she was going to hear.

"Y-yes," she finally answered, closing her eyes and bracing herself.

"What do you want me to say?" Ren asked, prodding her on.

"Just tell me!" Yoruichi shouted.

"It was pretty bad," Ren told. Yoruichi let a long sigh of relief, sending a small thanks to the Spirit King that her fears did not come to fruition.

"Whew. Why was it so bad?" Yoruichi asked.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, he seems nice and all and it was very kind of him to show me around, but something about him was just off. He kind of reminded me of crooked noble that I used to associate with back in the day," Ren told her, clasping her hands behind her head.

"A crooked noble?" Yoruichi repeated, not really understanding what Ren meant.

"Like he has some plot up his sleeve," Ren explained. "I mean, I highly doubt that he has something up his sleeve, but it just feels that way."

"Huh, that's interesting. So, uh, what did you think about our lunch?" Yoruichi asked slyly, trying to be sneaky about her 'information gathering'.

"Strained, at times, but mostly enjoyable. Love and Lisa were pretty hysterical, and Shunsui and Jushiro were very charming gentlemen, I guess you could say," Ren told her, unaware of what her captain was going at.

"And, uh, what about Captain Hirako?" Yoruichi added. Ren just stared at her blankly for a moment.

"I can't believe someone doesn't like my cooking," Ren muttered. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, so Yoruichi panicked.

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything like that, Ren!" Yoruichi assured her, waving her hands in front of her, trying to keep Ren's mind on her so it wouldn't dwell.

"Do you think so?" Ren sniffed, genuinely upset at the thought of her food not being good.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it. He must have just been having a bad day or something. He's usually a really great guy," Yoruichi told her. There was some hope left for Shinji, and she would be damned if she let it get away!

"I guess, I mean, he didn't seem too friendly but," Ren trailed off at the end of her sentence, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger and looking at the floor.

"But what?" Yoruichi demanded. She **had** to know what Ren was going to say. It would kill her if she didn't find out.

"I-I don't know. I, uh, I like his spiritual pressure," Ren told her. Yoruichi was at a loss for words for a moment.

"What?" Yoruichi's curt statement made Ren blush a little, not liking the pressure she was being put under.

"It-it felt nice. It was really warm and inviting, I guess. I felt really safe and comfortable around it, and I was kind of hoping that he would be, you know, like his spiritual pressure, because, I mean, I was just happy being around it," Ren stuttered. Yoruichi was speechless again. That asshole Shinji had better get his shit together, or Yoruichi was going to have to have a very nice little talk with him.

"Ren,I-" Yoruichi was cut off by a knock on her door. Before she could finish her statement or even tell whoever was at the door to come on, Shunsui decided to invite himself in, bringing a very lovely and expensive looking vase of flowers with him.

"Oh, Ren-chan!~Look what I found outside!" Shunsui sang. He seemed to almost glide as he made his way over to her, putting the vase in her arms. His grin grew wider once he saw how she blushed.

"Oh my, what nice flowers! What's the occasion, Kyouraku?" Yoruichi asked, eyeing Shunsui

suspiciously. He just gave her a wink and continued with his plan.

"I don't know, Yoruichi-chan! I believe they're from Captain Hirako! I have business to attend to, so I'll see you later, ladies!" Shunsui let himself out, hoping that his plan would work.

"Captain Hirako?" Ren muttered, putting the vase down on her desk, and picking up the note that came with the flowers.

"What's it say?" Yoruichi asked, curious as to the 'message' that Shinji had left for Ren. Ren unfolded the note, and quickly read it. Yoruichi knew it was good when Ren blushed as bright as a tomato.

"Read it to me!" Yoruichi explained.

"You do it," Ren told her, handing her the letter. She didn't have the gall to read it out loud.

"Fine. Here we go. _My dearest Ren, I apologize for the way that I acted earlier. Your wonderful smile left me speechless, and your beauty clouded my mind to the point where I could not think or act straight. I hope that you fill forgive me, and that you will allow me to see you again soon. Yours truly, Shinji Hirako_," Yoruichi read.

"Shunsui, you smooth bastard," Yoruichi thought to herself.

"See? I told you he wasn't like that all the time!" Yoruichi cheered.

"Ah, Shunsui was real nice doing that for Shinji, wasn't he?" Ren commented, smiling at the shocked look on Yoruichi's face.

"How did you know?" Yoruichi stuttered.

"There are no traces of his spiritual pressure on the flowers. I know I haven't been around him long, but I know what his spiritual pressure feels like. It was a nice thought, though, and I can take a hint," Ren explained. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Wait, where are you going?" Yoruichi called.

"I gotta go and meet someone."

* * *

"Stupid Sousuke, stupid lunch, stupid people," Shinji grumbled as he furiously did more paperwork. Aizen had come back in about an hour ago, and even though Shinji had **not **asked him, he proceeded to tell Shinji about what a nice young woman Ren was, and how he had got to talk to her the entire time they were out. He claimed that he had learned quite a bit about her, like what some of her interests were and some details about her past. After he had done a little bit more paperwork, Aizen left for the day, leaving Shinji to brood by himself.

"What!?" he yelled when heard somebody knock on his door. He was in no mood to talk to anyone right now, or to even see another human being for that matter.

Ren was half tempted to turn away once she heard the anger and irritation in Shinji's voice, but she knew that she had to toughen it out, especially if she wanted to get on the Fifth Division Captain's good side. The main thing that kept her from turning away, though, was his spiritual pressure. It gave her such comfort and solace, that she thought about just hiding her own spiritual pressure and hiding there for the rest of the day just so she could be near it. He might consider that creepy, though, so she decided against it. She breathed in deeply to calm herself, and once she felt her heartbeat slow down a little bit, she opened the door.

"H-hi, Captain Hirako," she barely managed to greet him. He looked like he had seen a ghost when she walked in. He was embarrassed about earlier, and he didn't know what to say. He could feel his face turning red, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"R-Ren," he stuttered. He didn't know where to go from there. Should he apologize, compliment her, or be nosy and ask about her little walk with Aizen?

"I, uh, this is going to sound weird, but, Shunsui brought me some flowers and said that they were from you. He wrote a nice little apology on there for you, too. I mean, I know he did it, but Yoruichi has been telling me that you're really nice and all, and I think that you would be too. I mean, I don't know why you were in a bad mood earlier, but I figured, you know, if you were okay with it, that maybe we could start over or something. I mean, I could cook for you again. I swear I'll try harder to make it better!" Ren ranted, becoming very flustered at the end. If Shinji hadn't have been paying really close attention to what she was saying, he wouldn't have been able to understand her.

"I'm sorry!" Shinji exclaimed, getting out of his chair and bowing as much as he could. His face was burning red and he had a slight nosebleed, but he was not going to let her get away again. "I didn't mean to be so rude! Your cooking was fantastic, the best I've ever tasted! If you could find it in you to forgive me, I'd love to start over!"

There was nothing but silence. Shinji was afraid that she had run out on him, and his heart dropped. He was sad, but he couldn't blame her. He had been a real ass, and he didn't deserve her because of it. As he rose back up, he let out a long sigh, only to hold his breath as he felt a pair of warm, soft lips connect with his cheek.

"Great! Come over to Yoruichi's office for dinner then!" Ren told him, practically skipping towards the door.

"Don't be late!" she called back, shutting the door behind her. As soon as the door shut, blood poured out of Shinji's nose, and his face got even redder. Those were the most wonderful pair of lips that he had ever felt, and he couldn't wait to feel them again.

* * *

"You're back quick. Where were you?" Yoruichi asked as soon as Ren returned to the office.

"Nowhere, really. I hope you don't mind that I invited someone over for dinner," Ren told her, finally regaining her nerve.

"Oh? Who is it?" Yoruichi asked, hoping that it was a certain captain.

"I-it's Shinji," Ren said, so quickly that Yoruichi barely caught it.

"Oh, really? You sly dog," Yoruichi commented. Ren slightly flushed at her statement.

"Well, he did tell me that he actually liked my cooking, so…But what if he doesn't show!" Ren panicked. She would be so crushed and humiliated if he didn't show, and she wasn't sure if she could deal with it.

"Oh, I'll make sure he shows," Yoruichi muttered. "You start cooking, I'll be back in a little bit." Yoruichi had a plan, and the name of this particular plan just so happened to be Mashiro Kuna.

* * *

He knew it was going to be a disaster, but he knocked anyways. Shinji refused to stand her up, but maybe she would understand if he had to leave early or something. If it was just him, it would have been perfect, but that wasn't the case. He had three of the worst people with him, and he could not shake them.

Mashiro had barged into his office not so long after Ren left, and she demanded that he introduce her to Ren. He told her no at first, but after about ten minutes of continuous whining, he had to concede. Once she finally got him to consent, she decided to bring a friend, so she went and got Shinji's most favorite person in the world- Hiyori. Hiyori didn't really care to meet the lieutenant, but she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make Shinji miserable. After a while, Kensei stormed into Shinji's office, not only looking for his lieutenant, but also wanting to yell at Shinji for being interested in that thief again. And of course, Mashiro just had to tell him where they were going. And of course, Kensei decided to go along so he could give that criminal a piece of his mind.

So, in the least to say, Shinji did not expect this dinner to go well. He would have been fine if it was just Mashiro, but once Hiyori joined in, he knew he was doomed. Kensei just sweetened the deal, almost guaranteeing that Ren would never speak to him again. Maybe Yoruichi could help him out, but he doubted it at this point, especially with the two hot-heads that were with him.

"Come in, come in!~"Yoruichi sang, ushering the party of four inside. Again, she already had a table and some mats set up, and a pot of tea was already prepared for them.

"Yoruichi, I'm not here to mess around. I want to see that thief so I can tell her just what I think of her and her pickpocketing," Kensei stated, making his intentions clear.

"Ah, well at least do it after you eat. No need for the food to go to waste." Everyone looked up to see Ren walking out with several plates of food balanced on her arms, and she was carefully making her way to the table.

"You listen here, you-"Kensei's rant was cut off when Ren dead-legged him, forcing him to kneel down on one of the mats.

"Just relax, Kensei! My Ren here is a great cook!" Yoruichi told him, shoving a bit of a rice and vegetable mixture in his mouth. He tried to object, but as soon as the flavors hit his tongue, he froze.

"Good, eh?" Yoruichi teased. Kensei didn't say a word; he just scoffed and looked off to his side, but he didn't say anything else. Shinji sighed in relief: one down, one to go.

"So, you're the 'Queen of Thieves', eh?" Hiyori bantered.

"Yep," Ren replied, taking a seat beside Shinji, and tossing Hiyori a money bag.

"Wh-what?! You didn't!" Hiyori raved, feeling around her pockets. Kensei started to do the same.

"I did, and just yours, too," Ren told her. "I mean, I had to prove a point." Shinji laughed at Hiyori's rage, but as soon as he did so, it was turned on him.

"What are you laughing at, baldy?!" she shouted. She was about to hit him, but Ren quickly shoved some food in her mouth, stopping her in her tracks.

"Hurt him later, Hiyori. It's time to eat now," Yoruichi reprimanded her. Hiyori made no more arguments, content with shoveling hoards of food down her throat instead.

"Glad you could make it," Ren said, looking beside of her at Shinji and giving him a small smile.

"I wouldn't have missed it," he stated, looking away from her, trying to hide his face so she wouldn't see his blush. No matter how small it may have been, her smile put him in a state of pure joy.

"Hey, Mashiro. You decided to come, too?" Ren asked.

"Yep!" Mashiro cheered.

"I thought you said you wanted to meet her?" Shinji pondered. It sounded as if the two had already been acquainted with each other.

"I lied!" Mashiro announced, happily munching on some sushi. Kensei would have yelled at her, but he was too busy engulfing food himself, and he didn't intend to stop any time soon.

* * *

"See? You ended up showing me around anyways," Ren stated. Dinner had long been over, and Yoruichi decided to personally herd everyone but Shinji and Ren out herself. It was quiet between the two at first, and they wouldn't even look at each other, but soon enough, Ren broke the ice first, asking Shinji what some of his duties were as captain. Their conversation took off from there, and soon enough, Shinji brought up the courage to ask Ren of she wanted to take a walk with him. He almost jumped for joy when she agreed.

"Well, I need to make sure that you know where you're going, Ren-chan. I wouldn't want you to get lost now, would I?" Shinji replied. He wasn't showing her around the Divisions at all, really. No, he had decided to take her to this little lake that he had found, which was somewhere outside the Thirteenth Division.

"I'm sure you could find me if I did get lost," Ren giggled, and beauty of that small laugh alone was enough to stun him and make him stumble over a rock that was in his way.

"Are you okay?" Ren hurriedly asked, worried that something serious was wrong with him.

"I'm fine!" Shinji assured her. He was more than fine, to be honest, but he wouldn't tell her that quite yet.

"Wow, that's so gorgeous," Ren breathed. It was a full moon that night, and the reflection of the moon off of the lake was so bright and clear that it almost took Ren's breath away.

"It's not the only thing," Shinji thought. He didn't want to move in on her too fast, though, so he decided to save that compliment for later. He had gotten his second chance, and he was not going to waste it.

"So, how's your first day been?" Shinji asked her.

"Well, it's been eventful, that's for sure. I can't complain, though. It's been interesting, although it was pretty strange for my first day. I got to meet a lot of people, though," Ren told him.

"Anyone in particular stick out?"

"Well, this one guy was kind of a jerk, but I guess he sort of redeemed himself." Shinji couldn't help but laugh at himself with that one. He had no idea what had gotten into him earlier, but he was glad that he got out of it. Dinner had played out a lot better than lunch, and he was hoping that he actually had a chance with her now.

"Thanks for taking me out here, by the way. It's really nice."

"Ah, I like to come out here to clear my head sometimes."

"I can see why. It's so quiet, and I bet not a lot of people know where it is."

"Nope."

"I guess we'll keep it as our little secret then."

"Oh, we're making secrets already?" Shinji felt confident enough to tease her a little, but nothing more than that.

"I guess so. Oh, whatever will they say about the brave and honest captain conniving with the thief?" Ren was able to play at this game, too, it seemed.

"To hell with what they say. Until they meet you and try your cooking, they don't know anything." Shinji was thrilled; he had gotten another laugh out of her.

"But really, Shinji, thank you. You've made this first day memorable for me."

"Ah, it's the least I could do, with you giving me a second chance and all."

"Let's just not go for round three, alright?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four- Gifts

"Hey, Ren?"

"Yes, Yoruichi?"

"I'm bored."

"No shit?"

"Nope."

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Find me something interesting to do!"

"Quit whining! You're a grown ass woman! You can find something to do on your own!"

"No, I can't!"

"You haven't even tried to move in the past three hours! You have made no attempt to find something to do!"

"Sure I have!"

"Alright, how?"

"I've tried thinking about something to do…"

"'Tried' thinking? You have had three hours, Yoruichi."

"That is not the point! What are you going to do?"

"I'm not telling you!"

"Why not?!'

"Because, you'll just invite yourself along, and you can't do that this time!"  
"I swear I won't! I just want an idea of something to do!" This banter was starting to annoy Ren. She couldn't really blame Yoruichi, though; there really was nothing to do today. There hadn't been any Hollow attacks in their area, and the newbies had a day off from training. On the other hand, Ren didn't really want to tell Yoruichi where she was going. She wanted her privacy today, or rather needed it for once.

"Why don't you go torment that Kuchiki kid?" Ren suggested.

"That sounds like a plan, but why are you avoiding my question?" Yoruichi prodded.

"What question?" Ren countered.

"Where are you going?" Yoruichi repeated.

"When?" Ren asked.

"After we leave in about thirty minutes."

"Leave where?"

"Work."

"Where's work?"

"Damn it, Ren! I swear if you don't tell me, I will follow you until I find out!"

"I could shake you."

"Come on, Ren!"

"If I tell you, you'll follow me. If I don't tell you, you'll follow me. Where am I supposed to win in that?"

"I swear, as your captain, I will not follow you."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

"Ren! Please!"

"You are so nosy!"

"I know! I can't help it! Tell me!" Ren couldn't take it anymore. She hoped that she wouldn't regret it, but at this point, she didn't care.

"Me and Shinji are going out!" she conceded.

"No shit? I figured that. Why so secretive this time?" Yoruichi asked.

"He said to try to avoid stragglers. He wants us to actually have time with each other **without** anyone else around," Ren told her. It had been a year since Ren joined the Gotei 13, and almost every night since she and Shinji had had their little reconciliation, they had tried to meet up after work to spend time with each other. The problem was that every night, someone had just so happened to come across them, and they also decided not to leave the pair alone. This made the alone time that Ren and Shinji desired nearly impossible to attain.

"So, are you two, you know, together?" Yoruichi pondered.

"I-I don't know," Ren answered.

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I mean, we've never been able to talk about it. Someone's always been around us, so we haven't been able to talk about it."

"Really? Well, I'll do you a favor. I'll make sure that nobody bothers you tonight."

"Would you really do that, Yoruichi?" Ren looked so hopeful, and Yoruichi couldn't bear to deny her anything.

"Why not? It'd give me something to do."

"Thank you, Yoruichi. I suppose that I might have to owe you now."

"I'll think about holding it against you later. For now, I believe you have a certain long-haired captain to go meet. But first Ren, how about I give you some advice?"

* * *

Shinji's day was just about as eventful as Ren and Yoruichi's. Not a damn thing had happened, and for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything to do. Plus, his anticipation to see Ren after work made time go by all the slower. He wouldn't complain, though, not as long as he got to see her.

He had to admit, she had really grown on him in the past year. Not that he thought she wouldn't, but he didn't think he would be this attached to her. His day felt incomplete if he didn't get to see her, and he was absolutely miserable until he was able to see her, even if it was only for a moment. He had thought that he might be getting too attached, but he sort of just said to hell with that idea and went with it.

"Captain?"

"What, Aizen?"

"You've been staring at the same piece of paper for the past five minutes."

"So? It's interesting.

"It's blank."

"Bullshit."

"No, it's really blank, Captain."

"Is it?" Shinji muttered, looking down at the paper that he was holding. True to Aizen's word, it was blank.

"Captain?" Aizen continued.

"Just call it a day, Aizen," Shinji told him, throwing the paper away and laying his head on the desk.

"Alright, if you say so, Captain."

"Yes, I say so, Aizen," Shinji mumbled sarcastically as soon as Aizen shut the door behind him. He waited for a few moments, but his frustrations were getting the better of him. He couldn't hold it in any longer, so he just threw his arms in the air and tilted his head back to let out a loud grumble, one that he had been holding in all day.

"Ahhhh! I want to see Ren!"

"Well, now you see me!"

Shinji almost had a heart attack. He hadn't felt any spiritual pressure what-so-ever around him, which was why he was finally able to let his frustration vocalize itself, when seemingly, out of thin air, came Ren. One moment he was shouting, and then the next thing he knew, Ren was falling out of the ceiling and onto his lap. It scared the hell out of him, although he did appreciate the fact that she was sitting on his lap.

"Magic, eh?" Ren teased. The look on Shinji's face went from 'I-just-got-shot' to content in a split second. Just seeing the smile on her face made his day go from awful to perfect, and he couldn't think of any other place that he'd rather be.

"Yeah, I'll say," Shinji agreed, staring into the deep burnt orange pools that were Ren's eyes. She stared right back into his, with such a gentle look, that it made him get lost even deeper into her gaze. It was like the two were staring into each other's very souls, and they were very comfortable with what they were seeing. Ren took a small lock of Shinji's hair and started to twirl it gently in her fingers.

"So, no stragglers today, huh?" Ren began.

"Nope, not today. Just you and me," Shinji agreed.

"Privacy, hm? I'm not sure I know the meaning of the word," Ren joked.

"Ah, it might make things weird, won't it?" Shinji played, rubbing a hand down Ren's upper arm.

"I think I'm willing to take that chance, that is, if you are, Shinji." Goodness, he loved it when she said his name.

"Eh, I might be. It'd be something new, ya' know?"

"Something new, huh?" It was funny that he had mentioned that, because Ren had been thinking of trying something new all day. The thing was, she wasn't really sure how Shinji would react to it, which kind of scared her. But, it had been quite a boring day, and what was life without chances? Plus, according to Yoruichi's lovely advice, it was time for Ren to "grow a metaphorical pair" and step things up in this relationship, a.k.a. actually make it a legitimate relationship. No one was blind, not even Ren or Shinji: they knew where this pairing would end up. The question was, who would have the guts to make the first move?

"Hey, Shinji?" Ren called in a playful tone.

"Hm?" Shinji replied, mildly spacing out as he tugged at a strand of her orange-brown hair.

"Can I, try something?" Ren asked, not real sure how she could go about this.

"What do you mean? Why would I stop you from anything?" Shinji replied. He wasn't quite sure what she was asking, but he figured it wasn't anything too big.

"Well, you are involved, Shinji," Ren playfully warned him, moving slightly closer to him.

"Well, I trust ya', Ren, for what it's worth," Shinji assured her, still mesmerized by her hair.

"It's worth a lot more than you think," Ren mumbled, wiping her thumb across his cheek, so gently that he barely felt it.

"What-"Shinji couldn't finish his sentence, and it was because of such a wonderful reason, surprising, but wonderful.

He hardly realized that it had happened at first. She had been so quick and so gentle, that it took him a moment to process what was happening, and just who it was happening with. And even when he finally realized what was going on, his mind went blank. The thought had crossed his mind that she might not want to be with him in that way, that maybe he was chasing a hopeless dream, but here they were, and oh how the tables had turned. And what surprised him even more was that she was the one that made the first move!

Ren took a huge leap of faith. Yoruichi was right: it was time for her to grow a pair and get this show on the road. She couldn't ignore the way her feelings were developing for Shinji, and she couldn't stop them: they were way too strong, and they made her way too happy, so it would have been foolish for her to try to get rid of them. So, without thinking about her fears or about the possibly disastrous outcomes, Ren finally acted on her feelings, and she could never have imagined how amazing the outcome would be.

Shinji was in a positively blissful daze. Nothing could compare to the sweet, gentle softness of Ren's lips. If he wasn't smitten with her before, he sure as hell was now. Shinji was slow to respond at first, that is, until he finally got a grasp on what was happening. When the realization hit, a wave of joy washed over him, and he responded to Ren's kiss with an eager passion. He reached up and tangled one of his hands in her hair, while he used his other arm to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him in a tight, amorous embrace. He never wanted to let her go and as he moved his lips in ardent unison with hers, it looked like he wasn't about to any time soon.

Ren was a little worried at first. When she first pressed her lips against Shinji's, and he didn't respond, she thought it would be the end of her. She was afraid that her leap of faith had all been for naught, and that she had been pursuing a fool's dream, but as soon as his arm wrapped around her and he started to return her kiss, relief flooded through her. She was taken off guard by how enthusiastic he was, but she couldn't complain. She had never felt so safe before in her entire life, and she would have been perfectly content to just stay there in his arms for the rest of eternity. She tried to pull away for a moment so she could catch her breath, but Shinji pulled her right back in, and this time, it was her that was in the blissful daze. The eagerness, the passion, the emotion in Shinji's kiss showed Ren just what she needed in her life, and it was Shinji; there was no denying it now. She had thought that she was enamored with him before, but now, she couldn't deny the love that was rooting its way into her heart for him.

When the two were finally able to pull away from each other, everything was quiet except for their heavy breathing. With her eyes still closed, Ren leaned forward until her forehead was against Shinji's. His arm was still tightly around her, and she had twisted both of her hands into his haori at some point during their passionate escapade. She slowly untangled her hands, and she began to smooth the wrinkles that she had made in his haori when she finally opened her eyes. There was no awkwardness between them when they locked eyes together, only affection, and a deep, unbreakable love.

"I told you that you were involved," Ren breathed, a smile etching itself across her face.

"Yep," Shinji relied. He was at a loss for words, really, still trying to wrap his mind around what they just did.

"That wasn't too soon or out of line, was it?" Ren asked, panicked by his shallow reply and the lost expression on his face.

"What? Hell no! We should have done that sooner!" Shinji assured her.

"Oh, good. I was worried for a minute there."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were you worried?"

"I-It's nothing, really."

"Oh, come on, Ren. Don't just say something and then play it off like you didn't."

"It's silly, Shinji. You don't want to hear it."

"If something's bothering you, Ren, I want to hear about it."

"Nothing's bothering me, I mean, I was just worried you wouldn't enjoy it. But, I'm really glad that you did enjoy it, because, uh, well, I don't know, uh, you know."

"I think I do know, actually."

"Do you?"

"Well, I either do, or I'm about to make an idiot out of myself."

"That wouldn't surprise me, actually."

"You are not helping, Ren."

"Please, I'm adorable and you know it."

"As I was saying, Ren, I figure ya' probably feel the same way I do: I really care about you, Ren. I know that it's only been a year, and that we haven't exactly had much alone time together because no one wants to leave us the hell alone, but what can I say? Seeing you is the highlight of my day. I'd go through a horde of Menos Grande just to catch a glimpse of you, Ren, and I think you feel the same way, or at least I hope you do."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Captain Hirako."

"You're such a tease, Lieutenant." Shinji leaned forward and quickly gave Ren another quick kiss, which in his mind was the perfect finisher to his explanation.

"So, does this mean we're together now?" Ren playfully asked.

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Hey, don't pull that shit now. I asked you first, Shinji."

"Well, do you wanna?"

"Of course I wanna, dumbass. I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't."

"See? You answered your own question."

"No, I didn't. Just because I wanna don't mean you wanna. Jeez, I'm starting to talk like you already."

"Is that a bad thing, Ren?"

"It could be."

"Thanks."

"So, do you wanna?"

"Wanna what?"

"I swear, Shinji, I will slaughter you in your sleep."

"Damn, I thought that would work."

"Please: I'm a master of deflecting conversation. That would never work on me."

"Should've known. You're damn straight I wanna, Ren."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't lie to ya, Ren."

"Ah, I should've figured that, eh?" This time, Ren was the one to lean down and give Shinji the small peck on the lips.

"I'll never get tired of that, you know," Shinji commented.

"Consider it a small gift from me," Ren teased.

"Speaking of gifts, Ren-chan, I got you something," Shinji began.

"Really? Why'd you go and do that?" Ren asked.

"Well, I had planned to make the first move and give you something, but, somebody just had to go and jump the gun and make the first move before I could, so there's really no need for the gift now," Shinji explained.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble there, Captain Hirako," Ren joked. "Oh, and is this the gift you're talking about?" Ren had pulled out a rectangular black box, much to Shinji' surprise, and she held it out in front of her.

"How the hell did you-"

"Queen of thieves, Shinji, queen of thieves."

"Yeah, yeah, just open the damn thing, Ren."

"Thought you'd never ask." Ren quickly flipped the lid of the box open and her eyes went wide when she saw what was in it. It was simple, yet it was so beautiful to her. It was burnt orange crystal pendant that matched her eyes perfectly, and it was held by a solid black choker. It wasn't anything over the top, but it was perfect for her.

"Oh, Shinji, you know me too well," Ren commented, running her finger down the pendant.

"You like it?" Shinji asked her.

"Love it," Ren told him.

"Want me to put it on you?"

"Of course." Ren quickly flipped around in Shinji's lap so he could have better access to the back of her neck, and as she held her hair up, she looked back and gave him a smile.

"Have at it, Captain," Ren told him.

"I'll get ya for that teasin' one day, Ren," Shinji warned her.

"Yeah, yeah, just not today," Ren added. Shinji shook his head, but he gently took the necklace out of its box, and (after throwing the box aside in a very unceremonious fashion) tied it around Ren's neck. It was a little snug, but it wasn't too tight for her.

"Thank you, Shinji," Ren said, turning back around in Shinji's lap.

"I do what I can," Shinji replied.

"You hungry?" Ren asked.

"Starving," Shinji agreed.

"Well, I'll go make us something, Captain Hirako," Ren offered.

"I guess it'd be rude of me if I didn't escort you then, wouldn't it?" Shinji said, starting to stand up after Ren finally climbed out of his lap, but she quickly pushed him back down.

"Nuh-uh, Captain. You, sir, have been slacking today. I see a blank form on your desk that has to be turned in tomorrow morning, so you just hop to that and you can come over when you have it finished," Ren ordered.

"But, Ren," Shinji started.

"No 'buts' Shinji, only writing," Ren warned him. She quickly leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

"There: a little incentive so you can work faster, Shinji."

"I'll be done in no time."

"I'm sure you will. I'll see you in a bit, Shinji." And with that, Ren finally left Shinji's office. Before Shinji could even start on the form, he had to sit back and just absorb the moment. He was finally together with Ren: he could not have been happier at that moment, although, he could have easily done without that damn form. But, Ren would have had his head if he didn't do it, plus Aizen would have annoyed him about it all day, as well, so he quickly started filling the piece of paper out. The sooner he got it done, the sooner he could have a nice dinner with Ren.

* * *

Ren was practically skipping her way back to Second Division. With her new pendant bouncing about her neck, Ren was practically glowing. She couldn't wait to tell Yoruichi that she had taken her advice, but that would have to wait, because for now, Ren was more concerned with getting back so she could make Shinji one of the best dinners that he had ever had.

"Heading home, Ren?" Ren quickly turned around, only to come face-to-face with Shinji's lieutenant, Sousuke Aizen.

"Yeah, it's starting to get late, so, you know," Ren told him. "You heading that way, too?"

"Not quite yet. I've been showing a new officer around," Aizen told her, giving a nod to the officer standing behind him. Ren had heard that Fifth Division had received a new officer recently (she hadn't heard that from Shinji, of course; she doubted that he even knew that he had a new officer), and that this particular officer had graduated from the academy early, but she never would have guessed that he was so young!

"Ah, you must be Ichimaru-san. Nice to finally meet you!" Ren greeted.

"Hi there, Ren-chan," Gin replied, and that was it. He didn't say another word; he just kept that same. Creepy, wide smile on his face. It didn't bother Ren, though; she had met people that were way stranger in District 80.

"At least you're showing him around," Ren commented.

"Yes, I don't think that Captain Hirako knows that he's here," Aizen agreed.

"It wouldn't surprise me in the least. Anywho, I'll catch you later. Good luck with Shinji, both of you: I'm sure you'll need it," Ren called, beginning to walk away from them.

"Watch yourself, Ren. You never know who might be lurking out there," she heard Aizen call. If it creped her out, she didn't show it, at least not until she was far away from him and back in her own division. Once she reached her division, she couldn't help the shiver that went up her spine. Just the way that he said that was enough to make her want to crawl under a rock and stay there for the next century.

_"Ren-chan."_ She knew that voice all too well. She had heard it for far too long not to recognize it.

_"He is not one to be trusted_," another voice warned. Both of these voices couldn't be heard by anyone else; they were the voices of the dual spirits of her zanpakuto, Hitokiri, the Human Slayer. The voice that had first called her name was the clear, light voice of woman, and even though it may have sounded innocent, that voice held the music of death in it; it belonged to Kiri, her right blade. The second voice was that of a man, and it was much more threatening, so threatening that it could make the bravest of souls quiver; it was the voice of Hito, her left blade.

_**(AN: Are those names uncreative? I mean, they sounded good to me, but zanpakuto names are not exactly my forte…)**_

"I know, you two, I know. I feel it, too, but there isn't really much I can do now," Ren told them.

_"Just be wary, Ren. I would hate to see that beautiful face of yours scarred because of some psychopath," _Kiri warned.

_"Yes, and I would hate to die with you because of some psychopath, so watch your back,"_ Hito agreed.

"Thanks for the confidence guys. You make my day so much brighter," Ren muttered sarcastically. But, even though they weren't exactly nice about it, she understood her zanpakuto's point: be careful around Aizen. She trusted her zanpakuto with her life, and she also trusted her own instincts, and right now, her instincts were screaming at her that danger was close by.

_Author's Note: I am so sorry! I feel awful for making you guys wait so long for this! I don't have internet at my house right now, so I'm having to go to a friend's house to use it whenever I can, which isn't very often. I cannot apologize enough for this long ass wait! Thank you guys for staying loyal to the story: I will try my best to get the next one out sooner! In my defense, though, I did have mild writer's block for a while: I knew what I wanted to write, but I didn't know how to write it, if that makes any sense. But, I finally got it, and I threw in a few gifties for you guys! There's a bit of Shinji/Ren fluff in there, plus Gin appears (for all you Gin fans out there- I love him, too, don't worry!), Aizen's creeping around, and the name of Ren's zanpakuto is finally revealed! Maybe all of that will make the wait worth it! Anyways, a special thanks to Soren Tamazki, alexma, Snowy12345679, Oowwll, Naruhinalov3, CeeGilbert8987, Buzooka Zooka, and CirceanPoison for the follows, favorites, and reviews! Oh, and as to who Ren's brother is, I think that it's pretty obvious, but I tried not to make it too painfully obvious for you guys. He doesn't really play a part in the story until later, though, so I won't come out and say who he is just yet. Whew, this is one long author's note! But, I feel like I abandoned you guys, so, I kind of owe an explanation to you. Anyways, enjoy, leave me feedback and all that good jazz! Thanks for reading! Longest chapter yet, I do believe!_


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